United Nations Says 80 Countries May Ramp Up Climate Pledges

UNITED NATIONS — About 80 countries want to increase their climate pledges ahead of schedule under the Paris climate accord, the United Nations said Tuesday, signaling that some of them would do so at a summit of world leaders in September.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres
 has made climate change a signature issue.

Luis Alfonso de Alba, a Mexican diplomat who is currently the United Nations Secretary General’s envoy on climate change, declined to say which countries were expected to announce higher climate ambitions, nor whether they would be enough to make a difference to the fate of the world.

Even if every country were to meet the pledges already made under the 2015 Paris agreement — and they are nowhere on track to do so — it would be insufficient to avert the worst effects of climate change. An “exponential increase in ambition,” Mr. de Alba said, is needed.

Read the story from The New York Times by Somini Sengupta - “United Nations Says 80 Countries May Ramp Up Climate Pledges.”

‘Captain Sunshine' says Australia is not living up to its solar potential

Australia can be the first 100 per cent renewables-powered continent, but it needs the political will to do so, a global solar expert says.

Australia has the world's highest level of available solar resources.

“Australia is not living up to its potential for power generation. It should be aiming for 100 per cent renewable energy, but Australia is up against the older, entrenched fossil fuel industry,” renewable energy entrepreneur and the chief executive of energy investor Energiya Global Capital, Yosef Abramowitz, said.

Read Cole Latimer’s story from The Age - “‘Captain Sunshine' says Australia is not living up to its solar potential.”